Archive: 2017 (North Western OR Group)

The environmental effects of transporting goods are of increasing concern to managers and policy makers. The use of fossil fuels, such as petrol and diesel oil, in transport produces air pollutants that can have a toxic effect on people and the environment. However, one of the main drivers for the concern over the environmental effects of freight transport has been the potential effects of the production of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions on climate change from the use of carbon-based fuels.

Research into models for transportation and logistics has been active for many years. Much of the modelling has been with the aim of optimising economic objectives or improving measures of customer service. However, in recent years, more research has been undertaken where environmental objectives have also been considered, so that supply chain and other logistic services can be delivered in a more sustainable way.

For the OR analyst, there are many choices to be made about how to model freight transport operations. Can old models be revised with a simple change of objective or are more radical changes needed? We shall examine some of these choices and illustrate the issues with cases studies to show what contribution can be made to environmental and other objectives through the use of decision analytic models. This will include issues raised by the use of new technologies, such as the use of electric or other alternatively powered vehicles.

Professor Richard Eglese

Richard Eglese is a Professor Emeritus in the Department of Management Science at Lancaster University Management School.

He was President of the Operational Research Society in the UK in 2010-2011 and is currently a member of its General Council and Chair of its Publications Committee. He is also now President of EURO (The Association of European Operational Research Societies) until the end of 2018.

His research interests include combinatorial optimisation using mathematical programming and heuristic methods. He is concerned with applications to vehicle routing problems, particularly models for time-dependent problems and for problems in Green Logistics where environmental considerations are taken into account to provide more sustainable distribution plans.

Rapid growth in aviation is placing extra stress on existing air transport infrastructure, both in the air and on the ground (airports). In this talk, I will provide an overview on a number of challenges faced in the Air Transportation System with special emphasis to Air Traffic Management. I will also describe some of the most promising mathematical models recently developed – with their mathematical properties – to deliver a harmonised and efficient ATM system.

Guglielmo Lulli is Senior Lecturer in Network Analytics at Lancaster University. His professional expertise, research and teaching interests focus on deterministic and stochastic optimisation particularly as applied to transportation and logistics operations, air traffic management and energy. He was recipient of the Fulbright Fellowship at M.I.T. and received the 2013 Best Paper in Transportation Science and Logistics Prize of the Transportation and Logistics Society of INFORMS.

Just under twenty-four hours! NWORG is very pleased to welcome everybody to the OR Society AGM in Manchester. See you at MMU tomorrow. If you still want to come see the booking details below. #ORSocietyAGM@MMU when tweeting tomorrow.

We will have a full report later if you are not fortunate enough to be there.

Apologies if you have been trying to book your ticket since my last reminder a couple of days ago. The system was not accepting further bookings but this has now been remedied so you can book your tickets here.

Now just over three weeks to the OR Society AGM being hosted by the North West OR Group in Manchester. Book your place today! This promises to be an excelllent event, in an excellent venue! Celebrate, communicate and collaborate with other OR professionals and meet the President, Ruth Kaufman with Board members at the AGM.

The OR Society Annual General Meeting is hosted by the North West OR Group at MMU, 22nd June 2017

(1500-1800).

The event promises to be both exciting and informative with Ruth Kaufman, President of The OR Society outlining some exciting plans with members through a Q&A on future directions. Your chance to meet Board members as well as Gavin Blackett, Secretary & General Manager, and other OR Society members. There will be some time for networking with refreshments and nibbles.

It is a pleasure to welcome Professor Keith Still our invited speaker who is an expert on ‘Crowd Science’. His research is focused on crowd safety. His tools (Legion, Paramics UAF, Myriad, Dwell Analysis, Progressive Crowd Collapse and Tawaf models) have been used for the analysis of crowds in complex and built spaces for over two decades. Professor Still has authored a book on this topic published by CRC Press.

Prof. Still has lectured at the UK Cabinet Office Emergency Planning College (EPC) from 1999 - 2013 contributing to a wide range of crowd safety related courses. Keith is currently developing a MSc course (Crowd Safety and Risk Analysis) at Manchester Metropolitan University, UK) and continues to teach short courses around the world.

We will also have a short presentation by placement students from HMRC who made the finals of the INFORMS competition in Las Vegas. They will tell us about their experience of being one of eight projects selected for the final.

You will be able to book in via the link below which will help us plan refreshments. Look forward to seeing you there.